Modern server computing devices are often physically configured in a manner to promote the installation and maintenance of multiple such server computing devices within a confined space, such as a rack. Multiple racks of server computing devices can then be housed in a dedicated facility, commonly referred to as a “datacenter”. Such datacenters offer efficiencies of scale and are often utilized to host the physical server computing devices that provide a myriad of services and functionality. For example, many services and functionalities accessible through the ubiquitous Internet and World Wide Web are supported by server computing devices in datacenters. Other services and functionalities, whose accessibility may be limited to corporate, university, or research intranets, are likewise supported by server computing devices in datacenters.
Often, to maintain reliability, redundant copies of data are maintained at multiple datacenters that are physically located separately and apart from one another. Such multiple datacenters can be spread throughout a single country, or around the world. In addition, other data sets can be sufficiently large that it is more economical, and more reliable, if portions of such data sets are maintained separately and apart from one another in multiple different datacenters, which, again, can be spread throughout a single country, or around the world.
Efficient data processing, however, typically requires that the data be stored on computer readable storage media that are physically proximate to the processing units of the server computing devices performing such data processing. Consequently, data processing can often entail the copying of large amounts of data from datacenters where such data is stored to datacenters where such processing may be performed. Alternatively, or in addition, data processing can often entail the copying of large amounts of data from the datacenter where such data was processed, typically to generate new, or modified data sets, to datacenters where such data can be stored. The processing of such data can directly impact, or can even be triggered by, the provision of services to thousands, or even millions of users. Consequently, to enable such users to be more efficient, and to avoid user aggravation, it is typically desirable that the processing of such data be performed as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, the time required to copy data between datacenters, including the aggregation of data for processing, the subsequent disaggregation of data for storage, and other exchanges or transfers of data, are typically the limiting factors in how quickly and efficiently such processing can be performed.